Improvement in traction-engines



E. P.. 60W LES.

i Traction Engines.' .Nm-154,845.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD P. COWLES, OF WEQUIOCK, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRACTION-ENGINES.

Specilicatfonolrmingpart of Lett-ers Patent No. 154,846, dated September 8,1874; application filed May 1, 1874.

'ing is a specitication:

The invention relates to the construction of wheel hubs and axles, whereby the wheels are adapted' to be vibrated or adjusted with referen ce to the direction of motion of the engine. It also relates to the means for effecting the adjustment; and, lastly, to an arrangement for varying the speed, as hereinafter described.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a plan of the bottom, and Fig. 3 is a detail.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A and B represent the axles, on which the boiler C is mounted by the bearings D and the gear-case E, so that they revolve to turn the driving-wheels F, one of the shafts being geared by a train, G, with the crank-shaft H, to which the engines I are connected, and the other axle is connected to B by cranks J 'and connecting-rods K to be turned by it. The axles are also connected by the bars M to keep them parallel to each other, and these bars and the connecting-rods are coupled by balljoints, which allow the axles to vibrate vertically, as necessary to run on uneven ground. The wheels F are also coupled to the axle by ball-jointsN, by which they are permitted to shift or vibrate on the axles for .guiding the machine. The hubs have a conical hole, O, and they are coupled to a block, P, at the inner end, asshown in Fig. 1, which has a slot, Q, to slide forward and back on the axles, as the wheel swings and holds the hub, so that the wheel will not oscillate in its vertical plane. The blocks are also' the means of connecting the wheels to the apparatus for shifting them lto guide the machine. This apparatus consists of the rockush aft it, with arms' S, to which the blocks are connected by rods T, the segmental wheel" U, crank-shaft V, and pinion W. The rrods T are crotched to engage the blocks P on the upper and lower side in the vertical axis of the axle in order to apply the force at the best advantage for pulling and pushing the blocks. -The rods for each pair.

For running the machine fast when light, it is v geared directly with the axle B by the train G, but for running slower, when loaded, and still slower for drawing plows, and the like, a counter-shaft, X, is provided, which will gear with the train G by its pinion Y, the crank-shaft being disconnected, and will gear with the crank-shafts by one or the other of the wheels Z Z1, according to the speed required, the crank-shaft being provided with pinions for gearing with the wheels Z Z1. This counter- `shaft is mounted on a bent swinging rod, Z?, with a handle, Z3, for swinging the shaft in and out of gear.

To show how the ,machine may be used in the field I have represented a gang of plows, a, at each end of the machine, the saine being connected at the front end of their beams to a draw-bar, b, whichv is supported on the bent rod, which is pivoted to the frame or the bottom of the boiler at e, and at the part f passes under the beams of the plows. A rod, d f, is provided at each end of machine, and they are both suspended by a rope, g, or chain passing up over the top of the machine and over a drum, h, around which it winds suiiiciently to be held by it, for raising and lowering the plows, by turning the drumv by a hand-crank, the chain being wound on the drum, so that one gang is lowered when the other is raised.

Three or four sets or pairs of truck-wheels may be coupled together by the rods KM and cranks J, if necessary, in order to distribute the power of traction between as many wheels for drawing on soft ground, which is liable to yield and let the wheel spin round without moving the machine forward when great power is applied to` draw a heavy load.

The wheel of the train G which turns the rear axle, is connected to it by a universal joint, like the traction wheels, except that this wheel can vibrate in every direction to allow the axle to rise and fall independent ly of the boiler, from which the gear-case is suspended at one end, and which being mounted on springs will shift about relately to the axle so that a positive connection would not do.

The arrangement of the crank-shaft under the boiler, and nearl yin the horizontal plane of the axles, in combination with the Vibrating gear-case, vibrating connecting-gear, and the truck-axle, so that the latter can play up and down without interfering with the-proper action of the gear-train, is considered an essen;

tial and desirable arrangement to allow of mounting the boiler on springs.

In practice, the steam-pipe connecting the engine with the boiler` will have a ball and socket joint.

In the case of a six-Wheel engine, the frame a of the cylinder may connect with abearing on the middle-truck axle, having the drivingcranks, by a ball-joint, and this bearing may carry a train of speeding-gears, similar to the wheels Z and Z1, and the bearing may bekept from turning by braces running forward to the front axle. ,l

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the rock-shaft R, arms S, rods T, and slotted blocks P, with the axles B and wheels F, adapted to be adjusted. or vibrated on the axles, as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the axles B, having spherical bearings N, of the wheels F, having hubs provided with a conical bore, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the axle B and gear-train G, of the swinging counter-shaft X, pinion Y, and Wheel Z, for varying the speed, as shown and described.

EDWARD P. COWLES.

Witnesses:

H. K. CoWLEs,

J osEHEF AELAERs. 

